‘Little brother’ stands up to Canty
The Tasman Makos head to Christchurch this weekend for the biggest assignment in their 11-year history when they take on defending champions Canterbury in this year’s national provincial premiership rugby final.
Saturday’s final showdown comes on the back of Canterbury’s decisive 45-14 mauling of the Makos in week two of this year’s Mitre 10 Cup competition. So Mission Impossible for Tasman?
Not at all. In fact, the last two outings aside, Tasman have proven their ability to hang with one of the powerhouses of New Zealand provincial rugby over recent seasons, highlighted by their stunning 2014 efforts when Tasman beat Canterbury twice within the space of three weeks.
Not only did Tasman end Canterbury’s six-year title reign that season, but the Makos’ 26-6 semifinal win in Nelson also propelled then into their first premiership final. Taranaki ended Tasman’s golden run with a 36-32 win in the Yarrow Stadium decider.
Looking back though, it took Tasman five years to finally bloody the nose of big brother after Canterbury had predictably flexed their division one muscle to register four straight wins.
The two teams never met in 2006 – the first year of the Makos’ existence – but the scoreline was encouragingly close in 2007 when Canterbury held on for a 21-14 win at Lansdowne Park in Blenheim, No 8 Mark Bright scoring Tasman’s only try.
However, the landscape changed dramatically in 2008 when Canterbury romped to a convincing 42-15 win in Christchurch, outscoring Tasman by six tries to two with fullback Robbie Malneek and halfback Kahn Fotuali’i scoring for Tasman.
They met again later that season in the NPC quarterfinals, Canterbury again proving far too good as they handed Tasman a seven-try 48-10 hiding in Christchurch. Former Canterbury winger Afeleki Pelenise scored Tasman’s consolation try.
Tasman showed signs that the gap had closed considerably when they met in Christchurch in 2009, Canterbury scoring three tries to two in a tight 25-21 win.
Tasman’s breakthrough year against Canterbury came in 2010 with a stunning 27-25 upset win at Nelson’s Trafalgar Park when the home team held off a strong Canterbury finish to record their historic first win.
Tries to second-five eighth Tom Marshall, winger James Kamana and hooker Francis Smith had pushed Tasman to a surprising 24-10 halftime lead before second half tries to substitute halfback Andy Ellis and hooker Steve Fualau suddenly had Canterbury right back in the frame.
A second half penalty to Tasman’s Steve Alfeld was enough to complete the win although interestingly, the result didn’t exactly spur Tasman to greater heights as one of only three wins by the Makos that season. It was close again in 2011, Canterbury getting up 36-32 in a 10-try fest (five by each team) in Blenheim, with winger Telusa Veainu scoring a hat-trick for the victors. Bright bagged two for Tasman, with Andrew Goodman, Tevita Koloamatangi and Tom Marshall also scoring. Tasman centre Kieron Fonotia turned unlikely match-winner in 2012, coming off the bench in the dying stages to score a last-minute try in the Makos’ 25-23 win at Trafalgar Park.
When Canterbury winger Johnny McNicholl crossed with just six minutes remaining, it seemed that Tasman’s last hope of a second victory had gone. But Fonotia struck the decisive blow, capitalising on a charged down kick by first five-eighth Hayden Cripps to score between the posts with time up.
First five-eighth Tyler Bleyendaal had the ball on a string as the standout performer in Canterbury’s 28-13 2013 win in Blenheim, Canterbury scoring three tries to two.
Then 2014 happened – a watershed year for Tasman in terms of their rivalry with Canterbury. Any victory over Canterbury is cherished, but to achieve it twice within three weeks signalled one of the high points in Tasman’s brief history. Tasman’s 38-10 win in Christchurch was comprehensive enough, winger James Lowe scoring two of Tasman’s five tries, but their 26-6 semifinal win in Nelson proved even more significant – holding Canterbury tryless in an epic encounter. However, Tasman had clearly poked the bear, Canterbury rebounding with a convincing 41-25 five-tries-to-three win at Trafalgar Park last year, ahead of this year’s equally comprehensive 45-14 win in week two this year. Tasman are a better side now than their early season offerings.